The proposed research is designed to establish the herpesvirus etiology of the Lucke renal adenocarcinoma (Lucke tumor) of Rana pipiens and to investigate the possible mechanism(s) of virus latency and tumorigenesis. Experiments are designed to induce latent viruses in established tissue culture cells derived from co-cultivation of Lucke tumor cells with nontransformed feeder cells and from ascitic fluid. The properties of viruses isolated from LT or ascites cells will be compared with the physical, genetic, chemical, antigenic and oncogenic properties of Lucke herpesviruses from natural Lucke tumors. The influence and significance of host cell and temperature on the consequences of virus-cell interaction will be explored.